Thursday, 21 July 2016

Four wins, four clean sheets – now Liverpool's pre-season preparations get serious

The Reds have scored 10, conceded none and won four
on the bounce as they build up to Jurgen Klopp's first full campaign at
the helm, but it's just the beginning

Liverpool have enjoyed an unblemished start to their
groundwork for 2016-17, but the real challenge lies ahead as the Reds
embark on their tour of the United States.

Jurgen Klopp’s side overcame Huddersfield 2-0 – the German
facing his best friend David Wagner in the dugout – to make it four
victories and four clean sheets on the spin with workouts against
Tranmere, Fleetwood and Wigan also proving successful.

Liverpool will head back to Melwood, refuel, and take
flight from John Lennon Airport to California via private charter in the
early hours of Thursday morning.

The team will stay in East Palo Alto and use Stanford
University as their training base as their preparations really take
shape. Andreas Kornmayer, the head of fitness and conditioning, will
test the players returning from international duty and build their
strength and resistance.

He will also look to extract more out of those already in sync with the intense sessions.

Nutritionist Mona Nemmer has had individual consultations
with the squad and has analysed everything from what food is sourced to
how it is prepared.

Liverpool have been spending time refining all the small details as their rivals spend big in the transfer market.

Klopp
has made it clear the club’s major work will be done on the training
pitch and behind the scenes, not with mega deals in the summer window.

The five new recruits - Marko Grujic, Loris Karius, Joel
Matip, Sadio Mane and Ragnar Klavan - have been sensible purchases
rather than blockbuster buys.

Their qualities will be fused with that of the returning internationals in the US. The England contingent
of Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge, Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Lallana
and James Milner are expected to depart Liverpool on the team flight.

Belgium trio Simon Mignolet, Divock Origi
and Christian Benteke have been pencilled in for a July 22 return, with
Emre Can and Joe Allen - the latter the subject of a £13 million bid
from Stoke - due to report on July 22.

It affords Klopp 19 days of planning with the full squad at his disposal.

“The coaches will have a lot of work with
the different groups in how they play and train, but that’s how it is,
it’s no problem,” the German explained.

“That’s the good thing with a training
camp, you have nothing else to do. We’ve organised it very well so we
can be fully concentrated on the things we have to do.”

Liverpool will tackle Chelsea at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena
on July 27, before lining up against Milan three days later at the
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara as part of their International Champions Cup commitments.

A friendly against Roma in St Louis closes off the club’s stay in the States.

The Merseysiders then face Barcelona at Wembley in their final ICC clash on August 6.

Klopp will return to Mainz a day later for the final game in Liverpool’s pre-season schedule.

It is fitting that the 49-year-old will
head back to where his managerial career was established before he
inaugurates a new era for the Reds.